FEX Connection Modes: Explained | Cisco Exam 400-251

FEX Connection Modes

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What are the two FEX connection modes? (Choose two.)

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Explanations

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The FEX (Fabric Extender) is a networking device that enables the extension of a parent switch fabric over a network, providing a cost-effective and scalable solution for data center deployments. The FEX is connected to the parent switch through one or more uplink ports, which can be configured in different connection modes.

The two FEX connection modes are as follows:

  1. Port channel mode: In this mode, the FEX uplink ports are aggregated into a port channel to provide increased bandwidth and redundancy. This mode is recommended for high-availability deployments, as it provides load balancing and failover capabilities.

  2. Hard-pinning mode: In this mode, each FEX uplink port is mapped to a specific parent switch port. This mapping is configured manually and is fixed, meaning that the FEX uplink port cannot be moved to a different parent switch port without reconfiguration. Hard-pinning mode is recommended for deterministic traffic patterns, as it ensures consistent performance and minimizes the risk of congestion.

Soft-pinning mode, physical-pinning mode, and clan pinning mode are not valid FEX connection modes.

Soft-pinning mode is not a valid FEX connection mode. It may refer to a technique for distributing traffic across a port channel based on the source and destination MAC addresses.

Physical-pinning mode is not a valid FEX connection mode. It may refer to a technique for mapping physical interfaces to logical interfaces in a virtualized environment.

Clan pinning mode is not a valid FEX connection mode. It is unclear what this term refers to in the context of networking.